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NFL, ESPN to rebroadcast iconic Falcons-Saints game from 2006

Monday, April 6 will be a good time to huddle around the television to watch a turning point in Saints franchise history.
NFL, ESPN to rebroadcast iconic Falcons-Saints game from 2006
NFL, ESPN to rebroadcast iconic Falcons-Saints game from 2006

ESPN and the NFL have teamed up to bring you five of their best Monday Night Football classics over the next month, starting on March 30 at 7 p.m. CT. It's a five-week event for fans to enjoy, and will be particularly good for New Orleans Saints fans to tune in during the second week.

On April 6, the 'Domecoming' game will be rebroadcast from September 25, 2006, which featured the home debut of Sean Payton and Drew Brees in the Saints' return to the Superdome following the Hurricane Katrina season of 2005. Spoiler alert: The Saints dominated a then Michael Vick-led squad, winning 23-3 in Week 3.

It was the first game in the Superdome since December 26, 2004, and produced an iconic moment in New Orleans Saints franchise history in which Steve Gleason blocked a Michael Koenen punt after the Falcons opening three-and-out drive. The block would be recovered in the end zone by Curtis Deloatch, marking the first points at home for the Sean Payton-Drew Brees duo. The Saints were already coming off back-to-back road victories against the Browns and Packers to open the season.

The moment, which has since been erected its own statue in front of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, is arguably the strongest symbol of the rebirth in the city of New Orleans. For one night, over 70,000 fans unified together to cheer on their team that was transplanted to various locations and were once thought to not return to Louisiana. It's a moment forever stamped in time that consistently creates euphoric memories each time it plays. Personally, it gives me chills each time I see it.

You also don't have to wait to watch it, as it is available on YouTube as one of three full-length games the NFL has for the Saints. The other two are the NFC Championship game against the Vikings and Super Bowl against the Colts from the 2009 season.


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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net

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